


Distance means nothing

by HopeSilverheart



Series: Loving Em at 2AM [41]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: (aka the one in which i insert my friends and i into a fic), Alternate Universe - Human, Europe, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Girl Power, Humour, Long-Distance Friendship, Road Trips, Sassy Isabelle Lightwood, Self-Insert, Surprises, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:06:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24935755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeSilverheart/pseuds/HopeSilverheart
Summary: Isabelle bounced on the balls of her feet restlessly, her hands clenching and unclenching nervously at her sides.She had been waiting for this moment to arrive for what felt like years, even though she knew it had only been a few months. It was strange how quickly time passed once she had found the right group of people to talk to every day. Her weeks had become a steady rhythm of work, rest, and hours spent online at ridiculous hours of the night talking to a bunch of girls from halfway across the world.Or: The girls fly out to meet Isabelle for the first time; fluff and humour ensues.
Relationships: (and all other combinations), Clary Fray & Isabelle Lightwood & Maia Roberts, Lydia Branwell & Clary Fray & Isabelle Lightwood
Series: Loving Em at 2AM [41]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764400
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9
Collections: Fluff vs. Angst Battle 2020





	Distance means nothing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thatnerdemryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/gifts), [lawsofchaos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawsofchaos/gifts), [Skylar102](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylar102/gifts).



Isabelle bounced on the balls of her feet restlessly, her hands clenching and unclenching nervously at her sides.

She had been waiting for this moment to arrive for what felt like years, even though she knew it had only been a few months. It was strange how quickly time passed once she had found the right group of people to talk to every day. Her weeks had become a steady rhythm of work, rest, and hours spent online at ridiculous hours of the night talking to a bunch of girls from halfway across the world.

Things would have been fine if Izzy hadn’t been in Europe. If she had still been in New York, she could have met her friends almost as soon as they had started talking. She knew _they_ had. Once they had realised they lived close enough to each other to drive and meet up, they had jumped on the opportunity and spent a week together in New York. Izzy had been a bit jealous, but they had video-chatted her every night to make her feel included, and that had been enough.

Now, though, her friends had taken things a step further. Summer had come around and, whilst Izzy couldn’t go back to the States quite yet because of work, her friends could come to her. They had planned everything without her knowledge, only telling her about the trip right before they got onto their plane, and Izzy was vibrating with excitement.

She had never met anyone she clicked so well with than Maia, Clary, and Lydia. The three girls had wormed their way into her heart effortlessly for entirely different reasons, and Izzy didn’t think she would ever be able to get rid of them.

(Not that she wanted to, thank you very much.)

Still, she couldn’t quite believe that she was meeting them. In less than half an hour, her friends would be standing in front of her. They had already landed in Brussels, and now all that separated Izzy from the rest of her American crew was a long line at Customs. It took all of willpower not to rush past Security and join her friends already. Hadn’t she waited long enough?

She tapped her fingers against her phone, checking the screen again for any updates but knowing she wouldn’t find any. The girls would be too busy taking out passports and talking about their trip to tell Izzy about their every move. It made sense, but it didn’t make Izzy any less nervous and jittery. Although that might have been the four cups of coffee she had downed to make sure she stayed awake on her ride over to their airport.

Another three minutes passed before people started trickling into the waiting area. Izzy perked up, her eyes scanning the crowd as she looked for three very familiar face. Three faces she had been seeing almost every night for the past six months. God, she couldn’t wait to meet them.

And then, there they were. Izzy blinked, and suddenly her friends were a few feet away from her, gesturing wildly as they spotted her.

Clary was in front, unsurprisingly, trying to push past the other passengers in her hurry to reach Isabelle. Maia followed closely behind her, a wide grin on her face as she apologised to the people Clary was accidentally knocking off balance. And right at the back, pulling three suitcases behind her with a disgruntled look on her face, was Lydia. Izzy immediately knew that Clary and Maia had forgotten their luggage behind in their hurry to reach Isabelle, and her heart warmed at the thought.

And even though Lydia should have looked annoyed at the situation she had found herself in, her face broke into a huge beam as soon as her eyes settled on Izzy. Truth be told, Isabelle hadn’t felt this loved in a very long time. In a world where she sometimes felt like she didn’t fit anywhere, these girls had shown her there was a place for her after all. They had taken all her insecurities and turned them into something she could be proud of, and they had encouraged her every step of the way as she pursued her passions.

She couldn’t have been more grateful for their presence in her life. She barely had the time to wipe tears off her face before Clary was jumping into her embrace and wrapping her arms around her tightly.

“Izzy,” she whispered into her ear. “Hey there.”

Izzy held onto her, wondering if she would ever manage to let go. Another weight added itself to the hug, and Izzy laughed huffily as she tried to blow Maia’s curly hair out of her face. Her two friends squeezed her impossibly harder before letting her go, stepping to the side so Izzy was face to face with Lydia.

The blonde dropped all the bags she had been holding and crushed Isabelle into a loving embrace. Izzy felt tears well up in her eyes again, because her friends were here. They were _here_ , even though Europe was miles away from their home and even though they could have been doing a thousand other things. They could have been spending their summer with their families or their lovers, but they had decided to visit _Izzy_ instead.

They had flown for hours, even though Maia wasn’t the biggest fan of airplanes, and even though none of them would be able to communicate with the people in the country they were visiting. Yes, they had Isabelle there to serve as a translator, but it wasn’t like Izzy was exactly fluent in French either. She could get by, sure, but her skills were still dubious enough that she got strange glances from native speakers.

The point was, her friends had made it all the way to Belgium just because they wanted to see Izzy, and she wasn’t sure how to handle that. She had only had a few hours to prepare for this moment, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it now that her friends were standing in front of her. She hadn’t been able to get her tiny apartment ready, hadn’t been able to make an itinerary for their stay with her, hadn’t been able to-

“I can see you freaking out from where I’m standing,” Maia smirked at her, bumping their hips together playfully. “I swear you have nothing to worry about. This is just Belgium, right? We’ll sleep on your relatively clean floor, go out and pretend like we understand what people are saying, and have fun with our beloved friend.”

“I just can’t believe you guys are actually here,” Isabelle breathed out, shaking her head to clear her mind. There were too many thoughts flying around at the moment, and she couldn’t handle that on top of her friends’ mere _existence_. “I know you told me you wanted to go on a road trip to Europe, but I didn’t actually think…”

“That we would come?” Clary finished in her place, grinning like a loon. “Of course we came, Iz. We’ve been planning this for months, driving back and forth between our states to make sure everything was perfect.”

“Maia came to your house?” Izzy gaped, looking between the two girls with a teasing smile playing at her lips. “Are you telling me that _the_ Maia Roberts cares enough about us to spend time in Ohio, of all places? Wow, this trip must really matter to you guys. I never thought I would see the day when Maia left her favourite state to visit her mortal enemies.”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Maia rolled her eyes. “The things I do for you guys, really, you’d think I’d get a ‘thank you’ at the very least. But no, of course not, because that would mean you guys actually being _polite_ for a change, and we all know you’re too damn sassy for that.”

“It’s part of the reason why you love us so much,” Izzy winked. “Now no offence, but can we get out of this airport? I’ve been dying for a proper breakfast ever since I woke up and I feel like you guys might appreciate some coffee that wasn’t brewed in an airplane bathroom.”

“Oh please,” Lydia groaned. “I swear, I feel like I’m two seconds away from passing out. And guys, if you think I’m going to take care of your suitcases again, you’re dreaming.”

Maia and Clary pouted momentarily but picked their luggage back up and hurrying after Lydia and Izzy – who has started walking without them, politeness be damned. As they walked back to Izzy’s car, the brunette couldn’t help but wonder at how easy this had all been. She had been so nervous to meet her friends that she had worried things would be awkward or wouldn’t flow as well as they did over the phone, but she shouldn’t have been concerned in the slightest.

Lydia filled the silence with talk of her job and Maia hurriedly joined in, always eager to talk about the work she was doing as well, so Clary and Izzy did as they always did and enjoyed the show, swinging their linked fingers in between them as they walked.

“Do you think they know we rarely listen to them when they get all nerdy like this?” Clary whispered when Maia and Lydia got so caught up in their conversation they actually _stopped_ walking.

“I think they know we only listen because we love them, not whatever the hell they’re talking about,” Izzy chuckled, tilting her head and frowning as she tried to understand a single word of what Lydia was saying. She shook her head rapidly when she realised her cause was hopeless, and grabbed Maia’s hand instead. “Right you two! I’m sure your discussion right now is absolutely fascinating, but we have a car to get to and breakfast to find, so maybe you should at least keep on walking whilst you talk?”

“Oh my god,” Lydia laughed, staring down at herself as though she couldn’t quite believe she had been standing still this entire time. “Sorry, you know I tend to get a little carried away when it comes to my job… Alec always tells me it’s fine, but I know that’s mostly because he understands what’s going on, whereas you guys…”

“Are completely fine with it,” Izzy huffed. “As though I would let my brother take over as the better Lightwood sibling just because I don’t know everything about science. Honestly, I still can’t believe you met him before you met me.”

“Well, maybe if _someone_ hadn’t decided to take a trip to Europe, she could have met us earlier than this,” Maia teased her, all but throwing her suitcase into the trunk of Izzy’s car and racing towards the passenger seat. “You guys have fun in the back!”

“Absolutely ridiculous,” Clary shook her head. “The things we deal with for the people we love, I swear… By the way, Iz, are you driving?”

“Am I driving?” Izzy raised her eyebrows and scrunched up her face. “Clary, of course I’m driving. This is my car, given to me by my boss for the length of this stay, and I’m not about to risk it by letting you or – heaven forbid – Maia take the wheel.”

“But I can?” Lydia piped up, grinning excitedly as she stared at the semi-fancy car Izzy’s job had lent her. Mischief was written all over the blonde’s face, and Izzy tried to make her answer to that question as obvious as possible without saying a word. As always, it worked. “Oh come on, don’t you trust us?”

“Oh, I do,” Izzy answered immediately. “I trust you with my secrets and my problems and my heart; I trust you with all the things that matter. This car, though? Well, let’s just say it’s not going anywhere near someone as adventurous as Maia, excited as Clary, or out of practise as you.” 

“Out of practise?” Lydia gasped dramatically. “Excuse me, young lady, but I’ll have you know I’ve had my licence for a lot longer than you have, and I’m sure my driving is a lot better than yours!”

“Of course,” Izzy said seriously, stifling her laughter as she stepped into the car, Lydia scrambling in next to Clary behind her. “How dare I assume that someone who’s been living in New York City for the past three years hasn’t used her car much? It’s not like I used to be in your position, not at all.”

“You know, I forgot how annoying this one could be,” Lydia sniffed haughtily. “Maybe we should have stayed in the States. Her sass was already a pain to deal with over the phone, but now we have to do it in person?”

“It’s all for the greater good,” Clary grinned. “Think about all the pretty places we’re going to visit over the next month! If that’s not worth spending all our time with Izzy, then I don’t know what is.”

“I’m two seconds away from kicking you all out of my car and letting you find your way to my apartment by yourselves,” Izzy snarked at her friends, starting the engine despite her threat. “You’ve spent enough time with me on video chat to know what my neighbourhood looks like, so I’m sure you’ll be fine, right? Besides, you’d get to see so many _pretty things_ instead of having to deal with dear old me.”

Next to her, Maia spluttered and turned pleading eyes on her, begging her to leave the others behind but to keep her because ‘ _I_ didn’t say anything derogatory’. Izzy rolled her eyes at the woman’s antics and glanced at Clary and Lydia in the rear-view mirror. Both of them mimed zipping their mouths shut, and Izzy snorted before backing out of her parking spot.

“Right, well, off we go,” she announced. “I hope you guys are ready for the time of your lives in Europe and I promise you that, no matter what you thought you were going to find here, you’re in for one hell of a surprise.”

“Oh come on, it can’t be that different from the US, right?” Maia scoffed. “Worst case scenario, we get stranded somewhere and can’t communicate with anyone, but I doubt that’s going to happen with our resident language expert around to help us. As for the rest, I’m sure there’s nothing we can’t face together!”

“Great sentiment,” Lydia chuckled. “However, I’ll have to agree with Izzy on this one. I have a feeling that going on a trip with you guys was the first of many, many mistakes I’m going to make this next month.”

Izzy screeched to a halt just in front of the parking exit, glancing at her friends with wide eyes. Maia and Lydia stared at her questioningly, but all of Izzy’s attention was fixed on Clary. The redhead had been the one to tell Izzy about the trip as they boarded their plane but it was only now hitting her that when she had mentioned a month, she had _meant_ it.

“You guys do realise that Belgium isn’t big or interesting enough for us to spend a whole month here without getting bored, right?” She asked slowly, ignoring the car honking behind her for the time being. If it wanted to get out, it could switch goddamn lanes. “This place is beautiful, but there’s only so much you can do without things starting to feel repetitive.”

“Oh, Izzy…” Maia grinned wickedly. “You’re thinking too small. Why stick to Belgium when we could _actually_ go on a road trip through Europe with one of our best friends?”

“Oh no, no, no,” Izzy shook her head firmly. “Absolutely not. There’s no way I’m bailing on my job for an entire month just to visit I’ve been avoiding for the past year. You guys can’t force me into this.”

“Maybe not,” Clary admitted, batting her eyelashes prettily. “But we can certainly convince you. I give you three days before you cave and let us drive this stunning car of yours across as many countries as we want to visit. Besides, Lydia got Alec to contact your boss, and you officially have the month off!”

“Surprise!” Lydia added, whooping loudly in the backseat. “It took a while, a bit of bribing, and plenty of cajoling, but I did it! Your boss was quite fond of me by the end of our conversation, so I wouldn’t worry about him taking his offer back.”

“Oh my god, who are you and what have you done to our Lydia?” Izzy groaned. “I can’t believe you would do something as ridiculous and embarrassing as flirt with my boss to get me some time off. How am I supposed to look him in the eye now, knowing you talked to him behind my back?”

“It’s not like I did this yesterday,” Lydia pouted. “I actually planned ahead-”

“ _Shocker_ ,” Maia coughed.

“- and did my research, and I promise everything I said was completely legal and not at all suggestive. I just asked the poor man if he needed something and provided him with it when he answered. A bit of useful knowledge here and there, and we were all set! I promise you, everything is fine.”

“Except for the part where I’m now pretty much obligated to go on a road trip with you guys,” Izzy pointed out, finally leaving the parking lot and speeding towards her apartment. “And since there’s no way I’m driving all that distance alone, we’re going to have to rent a car and find places to stay at and create a stupid itinerary and- Guys, I’m not ready for this!”

“Oh, we know,” Clary smiled softly. “But we are. We’ve been planning this trip for months, remember? We have everything covered, except for the car. Although, is there any particular reason why we can’t just use this one? It looks fine to me, honestly.”

“Exactly,” Izzy said, a smirk playing at her lips. “There’s no way I’m ruining my beautiful car because three of my friends wanted to play around with it. If we’re doing this, we’re renting an old car that’ll make it through the trip but won’t risk being severely damaged in the process. I’ll even let you guys pick the colour and model, if it means so much to you.”

“You’re no fun,” Maia sighed. “But fine, I guess. As long as I get to drive first. Also, if you guys think I’m sitting in the backseat, you’re dreaming. I’m sorry, Clary, but you’re going to have to stay behind.”

“ _Me_? And what about Lydia?!”

“Oh believe me, I’ll stay away from that front seat for as long as you want me to,” the blonde grimaced. “I’m fine right here or in the driver’s seat, whichever one suits you guys best.”

“Well then, that’s sorted,” Izzy clapped her hands briefly, completely ignoring Clary’s indignant huffs. “Now, how about I show you the best coffee place in the city before we settle down for the day?”

Her three friends cheered in unison, and Izzy let a smile curl at her lips. She wasn’t sure what she had just gotten herself into, but she was starting to think that it didn’t matter. A road trip wasn’t what she had planned for the summer, but with her friends at her side, she was sure she would get through it relatively unscathed.

And as she looked at Clary’s blinding smile, Maia’s sparkling eyes, and Lydia’s delighted gaze, she knew that even if the trip turned into a disaster, it would have been worth it.

After all, how many people could say that their friends had flown to the other side of the globe just to surprise them with an unplanned vacation?

**Author's Note:**

> Heya guys! Thank you so much for reading! (Still no beta, although I did get the girls to look over the first few hundred words so hopefully there aren't too many mistakes there). I just really wanted to write a friendship fic in which I could insert my friends and I, hence this lovely and completely plotless fic! I hope you all enjoyed it <3
> 
> Love, Junie. 
> 
> (find me on tumblr @hopesilverheart)


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